5 Reasons Why You'll Be Hooked On 'Stranger Things 2'

Cancel all your weekend plans
- byWinsome Walker

Oct
2017

Although we wish we had titled this article “11 Reason Why You'll Be Hooked On Stranger Things 2,” we’ve settled on five killer reasons you should stream the cult series immediately when it drops on Netflix on Friday night.

Picking up where the first season left off, Stranger Things 2 follows Will Byers and his loveable gang in Hawkins, Indiana, in the lead-up to Halloween (Ghostbusters is fittingly their costume of choice this year).

Before watching the first episode's premiere at the Sydney Opera House on Friday, we were buzzing with a tonne of questions. Will Eleven return? Has Will really cut all ties with the upside down world? And will we ever get justice for Barb?

But we've decided to avoid spoilers here and instead offer you a few damn good reasons why the second season begs to be binge-watched this weekend.

There’s a badass new female character

Meet the new kid in town, Max. She skateboards. She’s unbeatable at arcade games. And she has the best nickname out of the series (just watch and see). Played by 15-year-old Broadway star Sadie Sink, we hope Max remains a fixture on the show.

The first episode of Stranger Things 2 delivers the show's familiar balance of 80s quirk and supernatural foreboding. It follows many of the same beats as the first season, but we're happy for a second helping. Here’s what other critics have to say.

James Poniewozik in the New York Times: "It's a still a good time, it's nicely paced at nine episodes and it blends the suspense of '80s horror with the heart of an '80s teen romance. It may be last year's Halloween candy, repackaged. That doesn't mean it can't still be sweet."

Sophie Gilbert inThe Atlantic: "[The Duffer Brothers] demonstrate a commitment to going deeper into the darkness—to use it not just for cheap thrills, but for true psychological investigation. In that, Stranger Things 2is much more than a sequel. It’s a thoughtful and compelling trip into unknown territory.

Maureen Ryan in Variety: "Until Stranger Things 2 really gets going—and that takes a while—it trails an air of self-consciousness that veers into strained fan service at times. The good news is, the show’s core cast remains an extremely versatile and effective ensemble, and once the story kicks into a higher gear about halfway through the nine-episode season, a lot of the old magic returns.”

Following on from the success of aftershows like Talking Dead (which aired after The Walking Dead), Netflix will drop a Stranger Things discussion show to go hand-in-hand with the second season. Called Beyond Stranger Things, the post-mortem show is hosted by Community’s Jim Rash and will answer every burning question you have.